Environment of New Zealand

New Zealand is located in the South Pacific Ocean.

The environment of New Zealand is characterised by unique flora and fauna and a variety of landforms contained within a small island nation.

Biota

A tuatara, an endangered reptile found only in New Zealand. Eighty percent of New Zealand's biota is endemic.

The biota of New Zealand is one of the most unusual on Earth, due to its long isolation from other continental landmasses. Its affinities are derived in part from Gondwana, from which it separated 82 million years ago, some modest affinities with New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island, both of which are part of the same continental plate as New Zealand and in part from Australia.

More recently a component has been introduced by humans. New Zealand's biodiversity exhibits high levels of endemism, both in its flora and fauna. Until recently the islands had no native terrestrial mammals except for bats (although mammals did exist in New Zealand until 19 million years ago), the main component of the fauna being insects and birds. Its flora is dominated by Gondwanan plants, comprising historically of forests, most famously the giant kauri. New Zealand has developed a national Biodiversity Action Plan to address conservation of considerable numbers of threatened flora and fauna within New Zealand.

See also: Biodiversity of New Zealand

Fauna

Main article: Fauna of New Zealand

Birds

Main article: Birds of New Zealand

Mammals

See also: List of mammals in New Zealand

The only terrestrial mammals that were in New Zealand prior to human habitation were three species of bat. A number of marine mammals are found on the coast and waters of New Zeand. Maori and European settlers introduced a wide range of mammals some of which have become serious invasive species.

Flora

Main article: Flora of New Zealand

Climate

Main article: Climate of New Zealand

The climate of New Zealand is mostly cool temperate to warm temperate.

Geography

Main article: Geography of New Zealand

Protected areas

Main article: Protected areas of New Zealand

State of the Environment reporting

The Ministry for the Environment has produced two State of the Environment reports to date, one in 1997 and the other in 2007.

OECD environmental performance review

In 2007, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) conducted an environmental performance review of New Zealand. Some of the main conclusions and recommendations were that:

• energy intensity is about equal to the OECD average
• intensity of water, fertiliser, and pesticide use is low for OECD countries. However, the review period saw 'significant increases, with consequent growth in pressures on the environment'
• New Zealand should strengthen national policy guidance (policy statements, national environmental standards)
• New Zealand should further integrate environmental concerns into economic and sectoral decisions, particularly by using economic instruments to internalise environmental costs of economic activities
• New Zealand should further develop international environmental cooperation.

Environmental law

Main article: New Zealand environmental law

The roots of New Zealand environmental law can be traced to the common law of Britain. The increasing environmental awareness of the 1960s led to a specific body of environmental law that developed in many Western countries including New Zealand. Environmental law became more integrated in the 1980s with the passing of the Environment Act 1986 and the Conservation Act 1987. These Acts set up the Ministry for the Environment, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment and the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

The most significant Act of Parliament concerning environmental law was the passing of Resource Management Act in 1991. Issues under the Act are adjudicated by the Environment Court of New Zealand.

Treaties and international agreements

New Zealand is a signatory to a number of treaties and international agreements:

• The Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992 – ratified on 8 September 1993
• The Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 – ratified on 16 September 1993
• The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1989 – ratified on 21 July 1988
• The Antarctic Treaty, 1959 – ratified on 1 November 1960 - Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, 1980 – ratified on 8 March 1982 – and others
• United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 – ratified on 19 July 1996
• The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, 1989 – ratified on 20 December 1994
• The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants 2001 - ratified on 24 September 2004.
• Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, 1971 (London [Dumping] Convention) – ratified on 30 April 1975 – and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 – not yet ratified
• The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna, 1973 – acceded to on 10 May 1989
• The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat, 1971 (Ramsar Convention) – signed on 13 August 1976 with effect from 13 December 1976
• Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific, 1989 (Wellington Convention) – ratified on 17 May 1991
• South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty, 1985 – ratified on 13 November 1986
• Convention for the Protection of the Natural Resources and Environment of the South Pacific Region, 1986 [SPREP] – ratified on 3 May 1990
• The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity - ratified on 24 February 2005

New Zealand is a depositary to the following environmental treaties:

• Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resource Activities
• Convention for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC)
• Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific
• Protocol 1 to the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific
• Protocol II to the Convention for the Prohibition of Fishing with Long Driftnets in the South Pacific

Environmental issues

Main article: Environmental issues in New Zealand

As with many other countries there are a number of environmental organisations that are working towards addressing various environmental issues in New Zealand.

The move to carry out genetic engineering in New Zealand are opposed by environmentalists on economic and environmental grounds.

See also

• Sustainability in New Zealand
• Deforestation in New Zealand
• Timeline of environmental history of New Zealand
• Climate change in New Zealand
• Waste in New Zealand
• Water pollution in New Zealand

External links

• Ministry for the Environment
• Department of Conservation
• ourfuture.net.nz - a project for mapping environmental initiatives in New Zealand